TEDX Abu DhabiTV Commercial Video

About the project

2012 saw the first official TEDx event take place in the UAE’s capital Abu Dhabi. TEDx is renowned for bringing the worlds’ of Technology, Entertainment and Design together with the theme of ‘ideas worth spreading’. Being the inaugural event in Abu Dhabi it was important that the official trailer embodied the vibe and essence of the event.
The main feat of this video is that it was produced from start to finish in just over one week. We wanted to incorporate scenes from the world of technology, entertainment and design whilst also having a strong local thread. We reached out to our contacts and filmed a few scenes in a local art gallery, a science lab and in the desert with the traditional falcon. To solidify Abu Dhabi as the location we incorporated a series of iconic aerials of the city and with computer graphics added the identifiable red TEDx ‘X’ across our scenes. By far, our most creative addition is the sound design and track as our creative director, Sofia De Far, ingenuously suggested layering voices and lines from previous TED talks and speakers, that along with some harrowing sound design gave the trailer an edgy and memorable feel. The trailer went on to win two Finalist Awards at the New York Festivals International Television and Film Awards in 2013 in the categories of ‘Event Venue’ and Cinematography for our Director of Photography, Richard Latham.